Forgotten
by Amelia1108
Summary: When everything is lost, what do you hang on to? He remembers her eyes but he can't remember her face, and every second that passes hurts her even more. Will Damon ever remember the love he forgot in 1864? Or will he forever be lost?
1. Leaving

**(A/N: this is set after season 2 when Stefan leaves with Klaus in the present day, but it goes back and forth from the 1800s to the present day, and switches POV'S a lot. The Isobel in this story is NOT Isobel Flemming; she is my own original character, Isobel Lokra. Quick thanks to my best friend georgiamelody; the inspiration for Georgia Lokra, and my best friend shonajain915, who co-wrote this story with me. Enjoy)**

**Prologue**

**DAMON'S POV**

Her eyes. Golden. The same, strikingly familiar and unique eyes I was sure I'd seen before. They were beautiful, like orbs of liquid topaz, flecked with specks of hazel. Where the hell had I seen them before? Behind her golden eyes I could see deep fear and curiosity. Who was she to me?

**DAMON'S POV – 1863**

I gazed at her from across the room, as I was hugged and wished good luck. Tomorrow I left to join the Confederates States Army, and my family had thrown me a small good luck/leaving party. She watched me, smiling slightly; her beautiful eyes filled with tears. I could see she was obviously pretending to look happy for me; but behind her golden eyes I could see sadness. She turned abruptly; her silky black hair billowing behind her. I was about to follow, when Stefan stepped in front of me; beaming, as he handed me a small crystal glass of whisky.

"Let's drink to my brother, Damon Salvatore, who will go out and defend our country tomorrow," he called, putting his arm around me.

I smiled, pretending I hadn't noticed Isobel run away. Especially when I needed her the most right now.

"Cheers," everyone chorused, as they drank to me.

Stefan hugged me, clapping my back. "Congratulations, Damon."

"Thanks, brother," I grinned, pulling away. "Will you excuse me? I just need to go and talk to someone."

He nodded. "Of course, Damon. Tonight's all about you."

I smiled and slipped away, following Isobel. I knew where she would be. I ran up the stairs and down the hall to my bedroom. I smiled, and tapped gently on her door.

"Isobel? You in there?" I asked softly.

I could hear her sobbing quietly to herself, and my heart seemed to ache.

"One minute, Damon," she said thickly, and I listened as she blew her nose delicately into a tissue.

"Not one minute," I murmured, and pushed the door open. She was sitting on my bed, crying softly to herself. Her thick, silky black curls tumbled from her head and fell over her face, like a curtain. Her perfect, olive-toned skin was flawless and smooth as usual, and as she glanced up at me, our eyes met. My heart skipped a beat when I gazed at her dark honey gold eyes, flecked with spots of hazel, and glistening with tears. She hid her face in embarrassment and stood up.

"I – I'm sorry, Damon," she began to hurry past me, but I stopped her, holding her hands in mine and carefully kicking my door closed.

"Isobel, talk to me," I said, tentatively touching her cheek. "What's the matter?"

"No, it's ridiculous," she replied, flustered. "I – I shouldn't be crying."

"Please," I breathed, leaning closer.

Isobel stared at me, leaning closer too. She brushed her lips tantalizingly across mine, closing her eyes and sighing. I cupped her cheeks in my hands and deepened the kiss. She pulled herself closer to me, clutching my shirt in her hands. I broke my lips away from hers to breathe.

"Please tell me," I whispered.

A dry sob escaped her lips. "I'm worried about you."

"You shouldn't be," I told her, stroking her hair. "I will return to you as soon as I can. You know that."

"But – but what if? What if something happens and you –?" she broke off, unable to finish her sentence. I silenced her with another kiss, tangling my hands in her soft hair, and stroking the nape of her warm neck with my fingertips.

"Please," she whispered. "Please be careful out there, Damon. Promise me you'll come back to me."

"I promise," I said firmly, before pushing her gently onto the bed and kissing her again. She kissed me desperately, as if she were afraid it would be the last time. I let a low moan escape my lips as her kisses became more fervent. Soon she was tearing off my shirt; keeping her lips locked on mine. I helped her out of her clothes, and we pulled the covers over us. Our bodies moulded together; like two halves in a whole, all passion, desire, love and lust.

"I love you, Isobel," I whispered, intertwining my hands with hers.

"I love you, Damon," was her immediate response.

**PRESENT DAY – Georgia's POV**

I watched as the world blurred by in a haze of green, blue and grey. I was in the backseat of a taxi on my way from the airport to my new life in Mystic Falls. My gaze fell from the window and down to the locket I wore around my neck. The locket my mother had given me when I was thirteen. It was silver, and the pendant was a heart locket, with ivy and flowers engraved on it. Making sure the taxi driver wasn't watching me, I held the pendant to my nose and inhaled the familiar scent. It smelled just like the perfume my mother wore – she told me it was an extract of an herb called vervain. I felt the usual empty ache stab at my stomach, and the tears sting in my eyes as I recalled for the fiftieth time why I was moving here. I closed my eyes as I remembered.

_Two weeks ago_

_I could hear shouting and panicked screams as I neared my street. My eyes widened in surprise when I saw the great, fiery flames that billowed up into the night sky. Someone's house was on fire! Shocked, I broke into a run. I ran down the road and turned around the corner. My heart jumped hysterically. That was _my _house. Fear bled through me, as I pushed my way through my frantic neighbours as they watched my house burn down. _

"_Mom!" I yelled. "Dad!"_

_I pushed my way through, and watched with frightened eyes. The great, orange flames devoured my house, and thick, smoky black smoke wafted into the air. The fire brigade were here, firemen swarming the house with their hoses and gas masks. Our next-door neighbour, Mrs Figguns, turned to me, her face streaked with tears._

"_Georgia," she sobbed. "Your – your parents."_

"_What about them?" I demanded, terror seeping into the pit of my stomach. _

"_They...oh, Georgia, they didn't make it out," she whispered._

_I felt my life as I knew it crumble and fall around me. _

"_What?" I gasped, just about whispering the words. It couldn't be possible. I didn't believe it. I couldn't believe it._

But it was true. My parents died on that night. The fire had started upstairs; meaning the whole top floor and roof had been destroyed. My bedroom had been downstairs; so most of my possessions had survived it. But every single memory of my parents I had was gone. Burned. I had no other relatives in Ohio, so I had to move to Mystic Falls to live with Aunt Sara (my mother's sister) and my cousin, Zayn, who was the same age as me. I hardly ever saw them; they usually sent money at Christmas and birthdays, but that was it, really. Mystic Falls was such a small town, that I was sure everyone would know about my parents and the fire. Sighing with apprehension, I sat up straighter in my seat as the taxi pulled over outside Aunt Sara's house.

"Here you are," the driver said, turning around in his seat. "Do you need a hand with your bags?"

"No, thank you," I replied. "How much do I owe you?"

Aunt Sara opened the door and came out of the house. As soon as I saw her I thought of my mother. They had the same, caramel coloured hair and porcelain skin. However, whereas my mother's eyes had been a gentle blue, Aunt Sara's were fierce green. Accompanying her was my cousin. The last time I'd seen him he'd been short and scrawny, with a mop of shaggy dark hair. Now he was tall and masculine, with a lean and muscular figure. His dark hair was casually, but handsomely tousled, and I watched as he shook his hands through it. His eyes were also the same fierce green, but I could also see a hint of blue in them, making them a teal colour. He opened up the trunk of the car, and pulled out my luggage. Aunt Sara smiled and handed the taxi driver some money through the open window.

"Will that be enough?" she asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "Have a nice day."

"Thanks," I muttered, getting out of the car. Aunt Sara hugged me as the taxi drove away. I breathed in her scent, which surprisingly enough was vervain. Why did everyone wear vervain?

"How are you, Georgia?" she asked, tears glistening in her emerald eyes. "I've been so worried about you."

"I'm okay," I lied, forcing a smile.

"What would you prefer to drink? Iced tea or lemonade?" she asked, putting an arm around me and leading me into the house. Zayn followed, dragging my suitcase with him.

"Um, iced tea, please," I said, as we stepped into the entrance hall.

"Good choice," she beamed. "Zayn, show Georgia to her room."

"Sure," he nodded, ruffling his hair yet again. I privately rolled my eyes, wondering how many times he would do that. "Come on," he added to me, and I followed him upstairs. All the way up the stairs on the wall were pictures of Aunt Sara, Zayn, my parents, and even me. I paused to glance at some of them. Zayn, oblivious to the fact I wasn't following him anymore, continued on up the stairs. When he reached the top, he called back to me.

"You coming?" he called.

"Yeah," I said quickly, tearing my gaze from the photos and hurrying up the rest of the stairs. Zayn rolled my suitcase along the landing before halting to a stop in front of a door at the end.

"'S your room," he muttered, pushing the door open.

"Thanks," I said, awkwardly taking my suitcase from him.

"The bathroom's down the hall," he told me. "We'll be downstairs when you're ready to come down."

"Thanks," I repeated.

"Yeah," he began to walk back to the stairs, then paused and turned back to me. "Hey, I'm sorry about your parents," he mumbled.

My heart ached like it always did when someone mentioned it. "Thank you," I murmured.

Zayn nodded and disappeared down the stairs, leaving me alone. I'd never felt so alone in my life.

**Isobel's POV – 1863**

I awoke in my own bed; all wrapped up in my covers. Memories of last night flooded my mind, and I smiled. But I was also confused...hadn't I been in Damon's bed? I turned over on my pillow, and felt something crackling next to me. Confused, I let my hands feel around the sheets, until they clasped a piece of paper. Tugging it out, I opened it and smoothed out the creases. I immediately recognised Damon's handwriting, and smiling, I read through it.

_Isobel, I thought I might bring you home, to avoid any suspicion. Last night was the best night of my life. I love you, Isobel Lokra, and I swear I'm coming back to you. _

_Damon Salvatore_

I smiled, feeling tears well in my eyes. I folded the note and then opened my heart locket. It was silver, and engraved with ivy and flowers. And spiked with vervain. I folded the small piece of paper as many times as I could, before pressing it inside the locket. Now it would remain with me forever. A knock on my bedroom door distracted me, and I quickly closed my locket.

"Yes?" I called.

"It's Hannah," she called back.

Hannah Rowan was my best friend, and a witch. She lived in a little town in Georgia called Sky Valley, but she stayed with my family as she was our maid. I'd met her four years ago, and ever since we'd been best friends. My family was very rich, considering along with the Salvatores, Lockwoods, Forbes and Gilberts, the Lokras had founded this town. Hannah was descended from the Salem witches, which meant she was extremely powerful. I was the only one, along with her family, who knew that she was a witch.

"Just a minute," I said, grabbing my dressing gown and yanking it over me. "Alright, come in."

Hannah opened the door, smiling at me. "Good morning."

"Good morning," I replied. "Is everything alright, Hannah?"

"Of course," she crossed the room and sat on the bed next to me. Hannah had long, chestnut coloured hair, and she was quite tall and slim. Her eyes were gentle hazel. She was my best friend, and I told her everything.

"Where were you last night? You know Mr Salvatore left this morning, don't you?" she enquired.

"Of course," I nodded. "We were together last night."

"You were?" she asked.

"Yes, he came to say goodbye," I told her. I didn't need to say anything else. The blush that crept to my cheeks said it all.

Her eyes widened in surprise, and she grabbed my arm.

"Hannah? What are you doing?" I asked, trying to pull back.

She released me, shock etched into her face. "Isobel...you're pregnant."

I stared at her, my mouth falling open in surprise. "What are you saying, Hannah? How can you -? How can you even know such a thing?"

"I felt it," she whispered, her eyes becoming rounder and rounder. "When I touched you I sensed the baby; like when I touch vampires I can sense them."

"It's Damon's," I whispered. "No one can find out. We have to leave Mystic Falls."


	2. Anywhere But Here

**PRESENT DAY – Georgia's POV**

I hurried along the hall to the bathroom (after spending half an hour bawling my eyes out in my room). No one had come up to check on me yet; I appreciated them giving me some space. I locked the door behind me, and splashed some cold water onto my face. I gazed at my reflection in the mirror, sighing. Even in my own eyes I looked like a stranger. My face (which was usually tanned) was paler than usual; my eyes bloodshot and my nose red from crying. My curly dark hair; almost black, was messed up and tangled. Sniffing, I tugged a brush through my unruly locks, while with my spare hand, gently washed water across my face. I leaned closer to the mirror and inspected my eyes again. Yes, the whites of them were clearer now. But it was my irises I was more focused on. My eyes were such a weird colour; at home people always used to ask me if I wore contacts. I always said no, but somehow I don't think anyone believed me. My eyes were like dark honey; flecked with specks of gold and hazel. They were framed with thick, long black lashes and delicate eyebrows that arched above them. Glancing away from the mirror, I picked up my makeup and smoothed a little concealer over the bags under my eyes. I then outlined my eyes with eyeliner and gingerly applied a coat of mascara to my eyelashes. There. Much better.

I hurried downstairs. In the living room, Sara was watching television while eating a pot of noodles. She smiled when I came in, and patted the spot on the sofa next to her.

"You're just in time for Glee," she grinned.

Zayn came into the room too, rolling his eyes as he stuffed ice cream into his mouth.

"Don't get her started on Glee," he advised me, his mouth full. "She won't stop."

"Oh, shut up," Sara said, but her eyes were twinkling mischievously. "Do you watch Glee, Georgia?"

I smiled and sat next to her. "Not really. I've seen a few episodes, I guess."

Sara grinned. "I'd better not get you hooked, then. There's a carnival at the school tonight. Why don't you take her, Zayn?"

Zayn shrugged, swallowing his ice cream hugely. "Sure, if you want, Georgia."

I thought about it. I needed to get out. I knew that; I'd been holed up for too long alone. My parents wouldn't have wanted this. So instead of saying no, and curling into the sofa with a pot of noodles, I forced a smile and nodded.

"Yeah, I'd love to come," I said.

Sara smiled. "Great. Zayn will drive."

"You know I'm picking up the guys on my way, right?" he asked.

"Okay," I nodded. "I'll, uh, go get changed, then."

I hurried upstairs, already having second thoughts about this. I knew this would be good for me; it would be nice to meet people who went to the school so on Monday I wouldn't be totally clueless and alone. And Zayn was being okay about driving me. I quickly changed into a pair of jeans, a red sleeveless top and a black leather jacket. I ran my fingers once through my hair, before sliding on a pair of red flats and hurrying down the stairs. Zayn was already waiting at the bottom for me.

"Have fun," Sara smiled from the couch. "Don't be back too late, Zayn."

"Yes, mom," he rolled his eyes, before opening the front door and sauntering out to the car; ruffling his hair as he went. Sara stood up and hugged me.

"Have fun, okay? Call me if you need anything," she said.

"Thanks, Sara," I smiled. "See you later."

I ran out to the car and paused by Zayn's window. "Do you want me to get in the front, or...?"

"Yeah, get in the front," he said. "We're just picking up two of my friends."

We drove out of the street and around the corner. I stared at the sky out of the window as the car rolled by. The sun was setting, scattering beautifully coloured purple and pink clouds across the sky. We drove to the Mystic Grill, where Zayn pulled over outside and honked the horn loudly.

"What are you doing?" I asked in surprise.

He shrugged. "Tyler told me to pick him up from the grill."

A moment later, a teenage boy hurried out of the Mystic Grill. He was very toned and muscular, with short black hair and brown eyes, I noted, as he got into the back of the car.

"Hey, man," Zayn said. "This is my cousin, Georgia."

"Hey," Tyler held his hand out to me. "Tyler Lockwood."

"It's nice to meet you," I replied, shaking his hand, which was extremely warm.

"Yeah, you too," he said. "You picking Jeremy up next?"

"Yeah," Zayn nodded.

"So you arrived today, Georgia?" Tyler asked as we drove.

"Yes," I turned in my seat to face him. "Literally an hour ago."

"Where'd you move from?" he enquired.

"Cleveland, Ohio," I replied.

"Huh. I've never been there. What's it like?" he asked.

I shrugged. "It's okay, I guess."

Tyler talked to me about sport and school; Zayn occasionally chiming in to make a comment, until we pulled over outside a house. Zayn raised his hand to honk the horn, but Tyler stopped him.

"He's already coming," he said, pointing out the window. A taller teenager was hurrying down the porch steps and toward the car. He had light brown hair, which was longer than Tyler's and spiked up a little. He opened the back door and climbed inside.

"Hey Jeremy," Zayn said. "How's it going, man?"

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Not good. Elena's still brooding over Stefan. Caroline and Damon are in there trying to persuade her to come," he seemed to notice me, and smiled. "Oh, hey, I'm Jeremy."

"Georgia," I returned his smile. "I'm Zayn's cousin."

"Do the others want a lift?" Tyler asked, gazing wistfully at the house.

"Don't you mean, doesn't _Caroline _want a lift?" Jeremy smirked, while Zayn wolf-whistled.

Tyler reddened. "Shut up, bonehead."

Zayn laughed and hit the accelerator. I smiled along with the others as we pulled away from Jeremy's house, wondering who Elena was and why she was brooding over Stefan.

**ELENA'S POV**

I glared at Caroline, and said for the one thousandth time, "Caroline, I am not going to some stupid carnival, okay?"

"Why?" Caroline snapped, and I could see she was beginning to lose her patience. "Look, Elena, I know you're worried about Stefan, but that doesn't mean you can't go out and have some fun."

"Have some fun?" I repeated incredulously. "How can you expect me to think about having fun when I don't even know if my boyfriend's alive?"

"Uh, your _boyfriend _is now Klaus' little minion," Damon pointed out. I turned my glare onto my boyfriend's brother. God, he was _so _annoying.

"Don't do that. Don't pretend you don't care if he's alive or not," I snapped.

"I know he's alive, Elena," he retorted. "He made it pretty clear that he's alive when he showed up and killed Andie."

"Every second more he spends with Klaus he puts himself in more danger," I said exasperatedly. Didn't they understand how important finding Stefan was to me?

"We know that, Elena, and we're doing all we can to find him!" Caroline put in.

"Really? So _doing all you can to find him _involves going to a stupid carnival, does it?" I shouted. I knew it was wrong to vent my anger at her when she was only trying to help, but I couldn't help it. So much had happened in a small space of time; Jenna had died, Jeremy had almost died but been brought back to life by my best friend, Bonnie, who is a witch, I'd died in the sacrifice ritual and been brought back to life thanks to my dead biological father, Damon had nearly died from a werewolf bite but was saved when Katherine bought the cure, and Stefan was paying for the cure by joining Klaus. He'd killed Andie...and God knows how many others, but I couldn't give up on him. He didn't give up on me when I'd wanted to give myself up to Klaus in the ritual, and I wouldn't give up on him.

Caroline sighed, and approached me, putting her arm around my shoulders.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, resting my head tiredly on her shoulder. "I didn't mean to lose it with you."

"I know," Caroline said gently. "Bonnie's probably better at this than me, anyway. She gets back in town tomorrow, so she'll talk to you."

"It's cool, Elena," Damon grinned. "Go on. Vent. Yell, scream, shout, whatever, but either way we're dragging your ass to that carnival. Zayn's bringing his cousin, and we need to know how much she knows already about vampires, and whether she's going to blab."

"Why would she know anything?" I asked, confused. "She's lived away from Mystic Falls, right?"

"But, according to Zayn, her mother spent most of her life here, and learned about the vampires; the Lokra's being part of the founding families and all. So, my guess is her mom might have told her. Now we need to find out what she knows before she turns us in to the _real _council, and not our little secret, _secret _council," Damon explained.

"Sara Lokra's on the real council, with my mom and Carol Lockwood, right?" Caroline asked. "Zayn told me he hasn't told her about _our _little council."

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "It'll be better if we get his cousin on _our _council, not theirs. We need to tell her before Sara does."

I sighed. "Then it looks like we're going to the stupid carnival."

**1864 – ISOBEL'S POV**

I sighed, nervously playing with my hair as the carriage bumped over the gravel. It had been a year and a half since I had last been in Mystic Falls. It had also been a year and a half since I'd seen Damon Salvatore. I missed him with all of my heart, and I knew that six months ago he'd returned from war. I hadn't written to him though, and he hadn't written to me, considering he had no idea where I was. After Hannah had told me I was pregnant with Damon's baby, we had left to go to Sky Valley; Hannah's hometown. We'd stayed there for fifteen months, and eventually on October 1st, 1863, I had given birth to Isabella Lokra. I smiled as I reminded myself yet again, that baby was Damon's. When I arrived in Mystic Falls I would tell him of her, and then maybe we could move away and raise Isabella together. For now, Hannah was looking after her. She was now eight months old, and she had her father's gorgeous bluey-green eyes. I smiled in excitement. I couldn't _wait _to tell Damon.

The carriage halted to a stop in front of The Salvatore House. I knew I had lots of explaining to do for my own family; I knew for fact they couldn't find out about Isabella yet. I didn't know how it would work out, but I would make it. I touched the vacant space on my neck where my locket usually was, and smiled a little. I'd given my locket to Isabella, so she would always have a little piece of me with her while I was away. The carriage-driver opened the door and held out a hand to assist me. Taking his hand, I stepped out of the carriage and allowed him to close the door behind me.

"Welcome back to Mystic Falls, Miss Lokra," he smiled.

"Thank you," I beamed. "Goodbye."

Picking up the skirt of my blue dress as I went, I hurried up the stone steps and knocked on the front door. Damon's father, Giuseppe Salvatore, answered the door.

"Isobel?" he asked in surprise, and then he smiled. "Good Heavens, I haven't seen your face in a while! Come on in," he held the door open for me.

"Thank you," I smiled. "I've been away for my health, but I'm all better now."

"Excellent," he closed the front door behind me. "Well, come in, make yourself at home. I'll have one of the servants make you some tea."

"Thank you," I repeated, and smiled as he walked briskly back to his study. Now to find Damon. I ran up the stairs, breathing in the familiar scents of the house as I went. It had been too long since I'd been here. My heart thumped with anticipation and excitement. I was so close to seeing Damon again. I walked down the hall toward his room. His bedroom door was left slightly ajar.

"Damon?" I called, carefully pushing the door open. And wishing I hadn't. Damon was sprawled across the bed, only wearing his trousers, with his arms locked around a woman who was in her underwear. She had long, curly brown hair and piercing, cat-like brown eyes. Her skin was olive-toned, like mine, but seemingly more perfect, and more flawless. Everything about her was perfect. I watched, frozen in shock, as he kissed her passionately; my heart and world crumbling. She suddenly broke her lips from his and turned to me.

"Can I help you?" she asked icily, rolling off Damon and turning to face me.

Damon stared at me, confusion spreading across his perfect features. How...how could this be happening? No. I couldn't be here. I couldn't watch this anymore.

"How could you do this to me?" was all I managed to whisper, tears silently washing down my face, before I bolted from the room, crying. I ran down the stairs and past Giuseppe's study. I vaguely remember running past Stefan, who also looked confused. I sprinted out into the cool night, not even bothering to close the door behind me. I continued running; not sure where I was going. I just wanted to be anywhere but here.

**PRESENT DAY – GEORGIA'S POV**

We pulled over outside the school, and Zayn cut the engine. I slowly got out the car, gazing up at the school. It looked _huge. _I was definitely going to get lost in there. Another car parked up next to ours and three people got out. There was a blonde girl, a brunette girl and a dark-haired, blue-eyed handsome man.

Jeremy smiled at the brunette. "Elena, you came."

"Thanks to _me_," the blonde added, grinning. Tyler wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Nice work, Caroline," he kissed her cheek softly, while Zayn and the man pretended to vomit.

"Guys, this is my cousin, Georgia," Zayn said, gesturing to me. "Georgia, this is Elena, Caroline and Damon," he explained, gesturing to each person.

Caroline smiled warmly. "It's nice to meet you, Georgia."

"You too," I replied, as the group began to walk to the field behind the school.

Elena hung back, and touched my arm. "Hey, Zayn told me about your parents. I'm really sorry about them. My parents died too only a few years ago."

"Thank you," I said gratefully. At least someone knew what I was going through. So this was Elena. I wondered again who Stefan was, and why she was 'brooding over him'. Her boyfriend? Or maybe her brother?

I gazed around us as we drew closer to the field. _Wow. _This school knew how to throw a carnival. There were stalls set up for raffles, and games where you won toy prizes, hook-a-duck, a tombola, and rides, like the Ferris wheel, bumper cars, tea-cups and so many more.

"Wow," Caroline said in surprise. "I can't believe the school committee actually pulled this off without me."

"They did last year," Damon smirked. Everyone shared a knowing look, and I wondered what the private joke was.

"Hey, look, Anila's here," Tyler said, pointing to a girl who was standing by the raffle. Anila had light brown, wavy hair that tumbled gently to a stop just below her shoulders. Even from here I could tell she was quite pretty, and I understood why Zayn had immediately looked over.

Jeremy grinned at me. "Get ready to watch your cousin strike out _again_."

Zayn punched him jokingly. "Strike out," he scoffed. "Yeah, right."

Tyler rolled his eyes. "I'll save you now from rejection. Let's go to the arm-wrestling booth."

Zayn seemed torn between flirting with Anila, and proving his manliness through arm-wrestling. In the end, he grinned at the guys.

"Hell yeah," he smirked. "Bring it."

The three of them walked off, placing bets on who would win. Damon yawned with boredom.

"High school parties," he scoffed. "I'm gonna get some candy floss. See ya." He sauntered off, smirking flirtatiously at a couple of girls as he went.

"We're going on the teacups. Elena, Georgia, you in?" Caroline asked.

"I guess," Elena sighed. "Georgia?"

"No thanks," I said apologetically. "Spinning rides make me hurl. But you guys go ahead; I'll catch up with you later."

"Are you sure?" Elena asked.

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Okay," Elena smiled at me, before linking Caroline's arm reluctantly. Caroline giggled excitedly as she dragged Elena to the ride. I decided to go and introduce myself to Anila. It wouldn't hurt to get to know some other people. I approached the raffle booth and smiled shyly.

"Hey," Anila smiled. "You're new here, right? I'm Anila Rowan."

"Hi," I shook her hand. "I'm Georgia Lokra."

Something in her eyes changed; did she look surprised? Whatever it was, it was gone before I was even sure it was there.

"So you wanna buy some raffle tickets?" she asked.

"Sure," I nodded, handing her some money from my purse.

"Thanks," she ripped off a strip of tickets. "Here you go. The raffle will be drawn later. So when did you arrive in town?"

"Today," I replied, pocketing the tickets.

"And your Zayn's cousin, right?" she asked.

"Yeah...do you know him?" I enquired, remembering how he'd wanted to flirt with her.

"Yeah," she shrugged. "He's flirty; can be a bit of an ass, if you don't mind me saying."

"Of course not," I grinned. "I've seen how he behaves with his hair."

Anila giggled. "I know; what is up with that? You should see him with mirrors; he can't walk past one without stopping to check his reflection."

I laughed. I was pretty sure Anila and I would be good friends.

"Hey...I'm sorry about your parents," she said softly.

I nodded, forcing a smile. Great. I swear _everyone _in the freaking town knew about them.

"Thank you," I said.

"What do you think of the carnival?" she asked.

"It's pretty cool," I smiled. "I just wish I was less afraid of rides."

Anila smiled. "I could always use a hand with this. I know it may not look busy, but once the prizes are announced, people will be hounding this stall."

I returned her smile, grateful to have something to do. "Sure," I said, sliding over the empty table so I was behind the stall. As I did, I caught my leg on something sharp in the ground. Wincing in pain, I bent to check my leg. I'd got it caught on one of the pegs that were holding the stall down next to us.

"Hey, are you okay?" Anila peered over the stall to glance down at me. I'd scraped my ankle, and it was slowly beginning to bleed.

"Ugh, I cut myself," I told her. "Do you have any tissue?"

"No, sorry," she said apologetically. "Go to the toilets; they put some of those portaloo thingies out; they don't want people inside the school."

"Where are they?" I asked.

She gave me directions further away from the carnival, and nearer to the school.

"Thanks," I said, limping off to find them, my ankle stinging. Great. My first day here and I'd already hurt myself.

**STEFAN'S POV**

I gazed up at the school, memories flooding back. It was the carnival tonight; only a year ago it had been the dreadful night where Caroline had turned, and Damon had tried to kill her. Elena had been there too, and she'd run in front of Caroline to stop Damon from staking her. Elena. I winced when I thought of her. I remembered her long, brown hair that was always so soft to touch, and her warm skin, that smelled so tantalising. I remembered her gentle, big brown eyes, and the feel of her lips on mine. But I wasn't that person now. I killed people, and I made people hurt. I was here on Klaus' orders. I simply needed to see if the new girl had arrived yet. Georgia Lokra. I had no idea why Klaus wanted to know this. But as his wingman; I did as I was told.

A sound coming from only a couple of feet away distracted me, and I watched as a girl limped across the ground. She'd obviously hurt herself, but I wasn't sure where she was going. Then I smelled it. The delicious, hot scent overwhelmed me, fresh and warm. Blood. The girl was bleeding. I felt my eyes redden, and my fangs slowly descended. I breathed deeply, grunting against the desire to rip open her neck and drink her blood. I had to remember why I was here; I was here because of Klaus. The girl bent, and touched the wound which was on her ankle. Immediately, I lost all rational thought as I stalked my way over to her.


	3. Gone

**1864 – ISOBEL'S POV**

I awoke the next morning in the forest on the edge of the Salvatore House. I was freezing cold; my toes like ice in my shoes. I sat up, shaking leaves and dirt from my hair. I couldn't believe I'd slept in the forest all night. Flashes of last night appeared before my eyes, and I closed my eyes, fighting off another blinding wave of pain.

"Damon," I whimpered, feeling fresh, hot tears leak out of my eyes.

"Isn't here," a cold, clipped voice said.

I gasped, startled and turned in the direction of where the voice had come from. There was nobody there.

"Who's there?" I demanded, shakily standing up.

"I'm over here," the voice said, this time speaking from behind me. I could distinguish it as a woman speaking now. Shocked, I whipped around, but again, no one was there. I turned back around, and gasped, as I came face to face with her. The woman Damon had been kissing last night. She smiled cruelly at me. Up close she was even more perfect. How could I expect Damon to choose me over her, when she was completely faultless?

"Your name is Isobel, right?" she asked.

"How do you know me?" I demanded, my voice trembling.

"Mr Salvatore told me all about you. My name is Katherine Pierce," she explained, beginning to circle me. She made me feel as if she was a predator, and I was her unfortunate prey. She toyed with a lock of my hair, before dropping it dismissively.

"And I've come to deliver a message to you from him," Katherine sneered, so she was now in front of me. "He never wants to see you again. He doesn't love you anymore; he loves _me. _So don't ever come near him, don't ever talk to him, because he _doesn't love you_."

"I get the picture," I said tightly, wishing she would just leave me alone.

"Well, then it's good we understand each other," she said. "Oh, and just one more thing."

In a flash, she was behind me, with her arm locked tightly around my neck. I struggled against her grip, but it was like struggling against iron. I was no match for her. I listened as she cut into her flesh with her teeth, and I opened my mouth to scream. Before the sound could gain any momentum, she shoved her bleeding arm into my mouth. My body jerked as her blood hit my tongue, and I struggled harder than I'd ever struggled before. I knew what she was. She was a vampire. Damon! I arched my back and struggled even harder against her. She would kill him! She tugged her arm out of my mouth and let me go. Coughing and spluttering, I tried to spit out her blood, but the damage had been done. I'd been forced to swallow it.

"Damon," I rasped. "Stay away from him."

Katherine laughed mirthlessly. "Damon knows what I am. And you're about to be the same thing. But don't worry; don't feed and you'll die quickly. If not, well, you'll die anyway if I've got anything to do with it. Just _you _stay away from Damon."

In a flash she was behind me again, and I felt her hands grab my neck and jerk. I blacked out.

**PRESENT DAY – GEORGIA'S POV**

Annoyed with myself for being so clumsy, I bent to wipe at the blood which welled on my ankle, which had been seeping into my shoe. I heard careful footsteps approaching me, and I glanced up. There was a man coming toward me. I couldn't see his face, but everything about him made me feel on edge. Nervously, I straightened up and began to limp away as fast as I could. I stopped, glancing around. Where had Anila said they were again? I was now standing on the lawn in front of the school, and I couldn't see any damn portaloos. Maybe I'd gone the wrong way.

"Are you lost?"

Gasping, I turned around and came face to face with guy who I supposed was my age. But there was something different about him. He was quite tall, with light brown spiked hair and green eyes. Something in his eyes made me feel uneasy; he was staring at me...with hunger.

"No," I said, wishing my voice sounded stronger.

"You know, you shouldn't wonder this place on your own at night," he said, taking an experimental step toward me. I immediately stepped back.

"What do you want?" I demanded.

"That looks like a nasty cut," he almost snarled, gesturing to my foot. Something wasn't right. His eyes had reddened, and veins were beginning to appear around them. He was a monster! I opened my mouth to scream, but his hand clamped heavily over my nose and mouth. He stared into my eyes.

"Don't scream," he murmured. "Don't move. Don't do anything."

Were his pupils changing size? Was he mental? Did he think I would just obey him? I tried to jerk out of his grip, but he grabbed me in both hands, releasing my mouth.

"Vervain, huh?" he growled. "I guess we're doing this the hard way."

He threw his head back, and I gasped when I saw the glint of fangs. What the hell? I screamed as he sank his teeth into my neck.

**PRESENT DAY – DAMON'S POV**

"Candy floss?" I asked Elena, offering it to her.

"No thanks, Damon," Elena said. "Have you seen Georgia anywhere?"

I shrugged. "Last time I saw her was with you."

Caroline approached us. "Guys, I can't find Georgia anywhere."

"She'll be fine," I assured them. "She's probably with Zayn."

At that moment, Jeremy, Tyler and Zayn approached us, all laughing about how Zayn had lost miserably against Tyler in arm-wrestling. Well, no kidding. The dude was a werewolf. But Georgia wasn't with them.

"Have you guys seen Georgia?" Caroline asked.

"I thought she was with you," Jeremy said.

"I saw her talking to Anila earlier on," Elena put in, glancing worriedly around her.

"Really," Zayn said, glancing in general direction of the raffle booth. "Shall I go and ask her?"

Tyler smirked. "This should be interesting. Ask her where Georgia is, or if she'll go out with you?"

Zayn hit him. "Shut up."

I smirked at the others. "I am so listening to this."

I followed Zayn to the raffle booth so I was only a couple of metres away, and began to listen.

"Hey, Anila," he said warmly.

"What do you want?" she asked, but I could hear a smile in her voice.

He grinned. "Don't worry; I'm not here to annoy you. Have you seen my cousin, Georgia?"

"Yeah, she's gone to the portaloo thingies," Anila replied.

"Oh okay," he said, smiling. "Thanks. So when do you get to take a break from this?"

Anila shrugged. "I don't know, why?"

"Come on the Waltzer with me," Zayn said, and I smirked at his lame attempt.

"How's it going?" Caroline and Tyler appeared beside me, obviously listening in too.

"He's so striking out," I told them triumphantly. "And Georgia's gone to the loo. She's okay."

"No," Anila rolled her eyes. "I don't do rides."

"How about the hook-a-duck? Or the tombola? Or the teacups? Or the -?"

"Okay!" she snapped. "If I go on one ride with you will you leave me alone?"

"Yes," he grinned. "But I get to pick."

"Fine, but I don't do spinning rides," she reminded him.

"The Ferris wheel," he said promptly.

"But...but that ride's twenty minutes long!" Anila pointed out.

"Perfect. See you later," Zayn grinned, hurrying away before she could change her mind. Tyler stared at us in shock.

"He didn't strike out," he said in surprise.

I rolled my eyes. "Nah...he just got lucky."

Tyler and Caroline made their way back to the others, but I decided to talk to Anila. After all, she'd only arrived in town a week ago, and already joined our council without trying to kill me, considering she was a witch...I owed it to her to be nice. I walked toward her, offering her some candy floss and sitting on the edge of the table.

"So I hear you're going on the Ferris wheel with Zayn," I smirked.

Anila tugged some candy floss off. "I think he likes me."

"No kidding," I said, stuffing the pink sugar into my mouth.

Suddenly, the scent hit me. I'd smelled it too many times to not recognise it. Blood.

"What's the matter, Damon?" Anila asked.

"I can smell blood," I said, sliding off the table. She immediately came around to stand beside me, glancing around apprehensively.

"Is it a vampire?" she whispered.

"I don't know, but I think you should come with me," I said, before jogging away from the stall and through the crowds. Anila followed me, surprisingly fast considering I was a vampire, and moved a lot quicker than the average human. I could vaguely hear Elena calling my name in confusion after me, but I ignored her and continued to follow the scent. As we distanced ourselves from the carnival and neared the school, a new scent hit my nostrils. Was that...no way. _Stefan? _What the hell was he doing _here_? _Now_ was the time he chose to attack somebody? I quickened my pace, and the scent of blood got stronger. My eyes widened in shock when I saw Stefan holding onto a girl; his mouth locked tightly around her neck as he drained her blood.

"Stefan!" I yelled.

He whipped around, snarling, blood all around his mouth. He dropped the girl, and my stomach clenched. It was Georgia. She was unconscious, and covered in her own blood. She couldn't be dead.

"Get away from her!" Anila cried, holding her hands toward Stefan. Her eyes flashed dangerously, and the wind suddenly picked up around us. Thunder rumbled overhead, and I watched in surprise as lightning bolts shot from Anila's palms and hit Stefan, at the same time as a mini tornado swept him off his feet and away from Georgia. He landed a couple of feet away, snarling. Anila held her hands above him and I watched in astonishment. It was like she was pressing him down with the wind. I mean, Bonnie was powerful, but this witch kicked ass. My brother's ass.

Elena, Caroline, Tyler, Jeremy and Zayn came running toward us, shock etched into each of their faces.

"Stefan," Elena whispered, surprise saturating her tone. She then saw Georgia's body and her eyes widened. "Oh my God!" she ran toward her, Zayn following, and knelt beside her.

Anila pressed the wind down harder which held Stefan to the floor. He seemed to be finding it hard to breath, but with difficulty, he extracted his arm and wiped the blood from his mouth. He then glanced up at me; Anila still holding him down.

"What the hell are you doing here, Stefan?" I demanded.

He glanced around slowly and seemed to notice he was outnumbered. His eyes fell on Elena, who was kneeling beside Georgia and pressing Zayn's jacket to her neck wound.

"Damon, she's dying!" Elena shouted. "Give her your blood!"

"We got this," Tyler said to me, and I nodded, before racing over to Georgia. Her face was pale and her eyes were closed; Elena had moved her hair across to her other shoulder to expose the bite Stefan had made. I quickly sliced into my wrist with my teeth. Zayn gently opened Georgia's mouth and I placed my wrist inside. As my blood trickled down her throat, we watched the wound heal. The bite disappeared completely, and Georgia opened her eyes, coughing and spluttering. Whoa. Her eyes. Golden. The same, strikingly familiar and unique eyes I was sure I'd seen before. They were beautiful, like orbs of liquid topaz, flecked with specks of hazel. Where the hell had I seen them before? Behind her golden eyes I could see deep fear and curiosity. Who was she to me?

"It's okay," Zayn said quietly. "Close your eyes."

Georgia closed her eyes, and I felt empty. Where had I seen her eyes before?

**ELENA'S POV**

I stared at Stefan in shock, as Zayn lifted Georgia up off the floor.

"Get her back to the car," Damon said to him. "Go with them, guys."

"I'm not going anywhere," I said firmly, keeping my eyes fixed on Stefan. Anila was still keeping him down with magic. "Caroline, Tyler, Zayn, Anila and Jeremy, you guys go. Make sure Georgia's okay."

"I can't leave you," Anila pointed out.

Zayn looked troubled, and glanced at Anila. But then he looked down into the sleeping face of Georgia, and he nodded. The five of them left, leaving us standing here. Stefan glared at Anila.

"Let me go," he growled.

"Stefan!" I said softly, tears welling in my eyes. "Anila...let him go."

"Elena, no," Damon said cautiously, eyeing his brother.

"It's Stefan, Damon!" I cried. "He's alive!"

"And he's not the Stefan you remember!" Damon retorted.

"Elena," Stefan said raggedly, staring at me.

"Anila, let him go!" I insisted.

"He tried to kill her, Elena!" Damon pointed out, but Anila had begun to lower the magic.

"Damon, please!" I begged, tears welling in my eyes as I stared at Stefan's weakened body.

Damon paused and exchanged looks with Anila, who nodded stiffly, her eyes fixed on Stefan.

"Okay," Anila said cautiously, and dropped her hands. Stefan gasped in relief, taking in deep breaths.

"Stefan," I bent to kneel beside him, but in a flash, he stood up and ran a couple of feet away from me. I stood up again in surprise and stared at him, hurt. "Stefan, it's me."

"Who did I bite?" he demanded.

"It – it was Georgia Lokra; she's new here," I explained. "But she's gonna be okay, Stefan; Damon gave her his blood."

Relief crossed Stefan's features. "That's okay, then. Goodbye."

"What? You just got here! Stefan, I've been so worried about you!" I said, hurrying forward. Damon quickly grabbed my arm. "Damon, let go!"

Stefan backed away. "No, Damon's right, Elena. I'm not the Stefan you remember, and I never will be. You have to let me go."

"Stefan, please," I begged, tears pouring down my cheeks. "Please don't go. I love you. _Please_, don't do this."

Stefan looked away in anguish. "I can't love you, Elena. Just know I'm alive. But I can't be with you."

"Stefan!" I shouted, but in a flash, he was gone. "No!"

"Shall we follow?" Anila whispered.

"No," Damon murmured. "He's heading back to Klaus, who can't know Elena's alive."

Tears trickled down my cheeks. It felt like someone had punched a hole in my heart. Stefan was gone.

**GEORGIA'S POV**

I awoke, and sat bolt upright as I remembered what had happened. I gasped, and touched my neck. Nothing. No bite mark, or anything. What the hell had happened? I'd been...bitten. What was he? Where was I?

"Hey," Zayn's voice said quietly.

I glanced up at him. I was in the front seat of his car, and he was sitting in the drivers' seat.

"What happened, Zayn? Where are we?" I demanded shakily.

"It's okay; we're still at the carnival," he told me.

"What happened to me?" I asked, tears forming in my eyes. "Who..._what _was that? He...he looked human, and he bit me, and now it's gone...I swear, _Damon _fed me his blood...Zayn, what's going on?"

He looked at me seriously. "Georgia, did your mother ever tell you about...vampires?"

I closed my eyes, struggling to remember. "She...she used to tell me stories when I was younger about...demons that hunted in the night, and drank blood."

"Vampires," he nodded.

"Are you saying...are you saying a _vampire _did his to me?" I practically mouthed the words.

"Yes," Zayn said gently. "You have to believe me, Georgia, okay? This isn't a story...this isn't some prank. This is real life; you've been introduced to this town's darkest secret."

"Is...is Damon a...vampire?" I whispered. "Is that how his blood got rid of the bite?"

"Yeah. Vampire blood heals. But Damon won't hurt you. And neither will Caroline," he added.

"C-Caroline _too_?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes. But you haven't got anything to be afraid of. They're my friends, and I'm your cousin. We're in this together, so you can trust me and you can trust them. You see your necklace?" he pointed to my locket. "That's full of vervain. Your mom gave it to you to protect you against vampires."

"Vervain's harmful to vampires?" I enquired.

"Like poison," he explained. "It burns them, like a human touching fire or swallowing acid. And it'll keep them from using mind compulsion."

"Mind compulsion...like controlling your mind?" I asked.

"Yeah," Zayn nodded. "Look, I know it's a lot to take in."

I nodded, gulping as more tears fell down my cheeks. "Oddly enough...I think I believe you."

"You can't tell anyone, Georgia. You know that, don't you?" he asked.

"Who would believe me?" I scoffed.

"You'd be surprised," he chuckled.

"I won't tell anyone. Who was that vampire? Do you know him?" I enquired curiously.

"That was Stefan. He's Elena's boyfriend...well, _was_," he added darkly.

"Why did he do this to me? Has he gone bad?" I asked.

"He's just...gone, I suppose. Any humanity he had left is gone."

"Why?" I continued.

Zayn chuckled, leaning back in his seat. "There is a _lot _of explaining to do. Come on. I'll tell you when we get home."


	4. Memory

**1864 – ISOBEL'S POV**

I awoke with a gasp, coughing and retching. My lungs expanded gratefully as I inhaled clean gulps of air. I was lying in the forest...what had happened? I could feel something crusty around my mouth, and I began to scrub it away, glancing down at my hands. My fingers were streaked with blood. I gasped, willing it to not be true. But it was...the sky was brighter...the green of the leaves were more defined and bold...I felt an unexplainable hunger gnawing at my stomach, and the light in the forest hurt my eyes. I felt one hundred times more scared...tears stung in my eyes, and my heart rate increased drastically. Oh my goodness...Katherine had tried to turn me into a vampire. I was in transition. If I didn't feed on human blood I would die. I let a dry sob escape my lips. I needed my best friend.

I didn't need to go far. As I approached my house (hoping in vain that no one would be home), I tapped tentatively on the front door. The door was thrown open forcefully, and Hannah stood there, her eyes wide with shock. She grabbed my arm and pulled me inside, shutting the door firmly behind her and locking it.

"Hannah?" I asked incredulously. "What are you doing _here? _Where's Isabella?"

"I left her with my mother," she explained, releasing my arm. "I just had a feeling that you might need me. And I was right. You're in transition. Who did this to you, Isobel?"

"How can you sound so calm?" I demanded. "I – I'm turning into one of them!"

"Who did this?" she continued evenly.

I explained to her about Katherine and Damon, feeling tears well in my eyes and spill over as I mentioned how he didn't love me anymore, and how Katherine had fed me her blood and killed me. Hannah watched me with sorrowful eyes, and held onto my hand comfortingly.

"I'm going to kill myself, Hannah," I said quietly, wiping my eyes. "I can't be a vampire."

"You're my best friend," she whispered, tears trickling down her cheeks. "I can't lose you. You don't have to kill yourself."

"I'll be your enemy," I reminded her. "You hate vampires."

"I could never hate you," she told me. "If you promise only to drink animal blood, and keep my family line alive, I will make you a daylight ring, and I'll give you my blood so you transition."

"I don't know, Hannah," I whispered.

"What about Damon, Isobel?" she asked softly. "If you were a vampire you could protect him from Katherine. She'll kill him, Isobel, don't you see that? She's using him to entertain herself; so she has someone to feed on."

"He loves her," I said brokenly.

"No, he doesn't. She's compelled him to love her; his feelings aren't real. But what he feels for you is real," Hannah explained.

I sighed, staring at my hands. If I became a vampire, I wouldn't be able to see my baby again. But I could leave her protected with Hannah. I could hold it together – I wouldn't become a killer. Hannah stood up and left the room. When she returned, she was holding a handkerchief to her bleeding hand, and a glass of blood.

"Drink this," she said gently, holding the glass under my nose. It smelled so tempting...it was the sweetest, most delicious liquid I'd ever smelled. Before I even thought about what I was doing, I took the glass in shaking hands. I tipped the blood into my mouth.

**PRESENT DAY – ANILA'S POV**

I knocked on Zayn's front door, after only a moment's hesitation, and waited. It was half past ten in the morning; so I was hoping I wasn't _too _early. Zayn opened the door, and smiled in surprise when he saw me.

"Hey, Anila," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"I, uh, came to see how Georgia was doing," I replied, momentarily dumbfounded and pleased after seeing how happy he was that I was there. "I know she went through hell last night, and I wanted to see if she was okay."

"Sure, come in," he held the door open for me, and I stepped inside. "She's just got up and in the shower, I think, but you can wait inside."

"Thank you," I smiled, following him into the living room. There were quite a few empty pots of noodles strewn on the couch, along with a crumpled packet of popcorn.

"Sorry," he muttered, embarrassed, quickly picking up the rubbish and hurrying it to the bin. "Do you want a drink, or anything?"

"No, thank you," I replied. He sat on the sofa, and after hesitating for a second, I smiled and sat next to him. "What exactly did you tell Georgia last night?"

"I told her all about vampires," he explained. "And werewolves. I think it scared her a little, but she handles weird stuff really well. I also told her about Klaus being both vampire and werewolf, and how Elena's missing Stefan because he joined Klaus to save his brother."

"Did you tell her about witches?" I asked.

"No," Zayn said quietly. "I was thinking you could tell her that."

"Me? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Who else better to tell her than a witch herself?" he grinned. "I mean, you were amazing, last night."

I blushed. "Thanks. I, er, I have an affinity for air."

"An affinity?" he asked curiously. "What's that mean?"

"It means I can call on air...and it'll respond to me without draining me of my energy. I draw energy from it in such a way that it's more powerful than any kind of witchcraft. It's quite rare for witches and warlocks to be born with affinities for elements, but I'm the child of the wind. It's what Anila means," I explained.

"That's awesome," he grinned, and I couldn't help but laugh. "You kicked ass last night with nothing but air."

I giggled. "Check this out. Take my hands."

I held both of my hands out, and not taking his eyes off me, he wrapped his warm, big hands around mine. Something about his stare made my knees feel weak, and my stomach fly with butterflies. I closed my eyes, and focused on drawing energy from him and the air around us. A gentle breeze picked up around us, lifting our hair and ruffling our clothes. I opened my eyes and stared into his, which were filled with awe. The wind grew stronger, and soon the curtains and papers were flying around us. I smiled and lowered our hands, still keeping a hold on his. The wind died down, leaving Zayn's tousled hair windswept. His eyes were lit up like a child's, and he was grinning.

"You're awesome," he murmured, leaning closer. I didn't stop him, and felt myself leaning forward too, not sure of what I was doing. Footsteps coming down the stairs had us releasing each other awkwardly, and looking away.

"Everything okay, guys?" Sara asked, tugging her jacket over her shoulders.

"Yeah," Zayn called back.

"I'm just heading off to meet some friends," she grinned at how close we were sitting. "Have fun."

**GEORGIA'S POV**

I stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel first around my hair, then around my body. Sighing, I padded across to the mirror and wiped away the steam. My big, golden eyes stared back at me, with purple-ish bags beneath them. Great. Even a hot morning shower wouldn't mask my tiredness. I turned my head slightly, to expose the fading pink scar on my neck. Feeling a shiver ripple down my spine, I allowed my damp fingers to trace the crescent-shaped pink line. So much had changed in just a night. Zayn had told me everything...and my mind was reeling. I didn't understand why I was handling it so well; but, as Zayn had said, rather that than freaking out. I just wish it could have been my mother that had told me.

I quickly dressed into jeans and a checked shirt, dried my hair roughly with a towel, before fastening my vervain-filled locket around my neck. I didn't bother with makeup. It wasn't like I was going anywhere today; it was Saturday. I hurried downstairs and into the living room. To my surprise, Anila was sitting on the sofa next to Zayn. They seemed to be bickering about what to watch on television, as Zayn now held the remote high above her head while turning the channel to sumo-wrestling. I cleared my throat to announce my presence. Zayn dropped the remote in surprise, narrowly missing Anila's head, and catching the coffee table instead.

"Hey," he said brightly. "You're up."

"Hey, Georgia," Anila smiled.

"Hi," I replied, returning her smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," she said, standing up. "I know you went through crap last night...how are you doing?"

"I'm dealing," I sighed. "It's...a lot to take in."

She grinned. "It's weird, huh? But Zayn tells me you're pretty good with weird. Do you think you could handle another weird thing?"

"How weird?" I asked cautiously.

Zayn also grinned, standing up. "As in, you'll love it. It's a real pick-me-up."

"What's going on?" I enquired curiously.

"I'll show you," Anila smiled, and loosely grabbed my hand, tugging me out to the garden. "Come on."

I followed her suspiciously, unsure of where this was going. Zayn was also following. He tossed the back door keys to Anila, who unlocked the door. A cool breeze reached my body; raising goose bumps on my arms. The grass was littered with brightly coloured leaves, in all different shades of red, orange, yellow and brown. Autumn had always been my favourite season because of how colourful it was. I loved the warm tones of the leaves, and the feeling of the crisp crunch of them beneath my feet. Anila stood in the middle of the garden, smiling at me.

"I'm descended from the Salem witches, Georgia," she explained quietly. "I have extraordinary power, and I want to show you."

I stared at them both in shock. Witches? Okay, seriously, I'd dealt with vampires and werewolves, but now witches too? What the heck; anything in this town seemed possible. But witches...?

Anila raised her hands above the grass, and three sycamore leaves levitated off the ground. I watched in disbelief. There was no wind either...the only way this was possible was if –

"Are you doing this?" I whispered.

Anila smiled, nodding serenely. The sycamore leaves floated gently to the ground. As soon as they hit the grass, every single leaf levitated above the ground and floated in mid-air. It was beautiful. Anila closed her eyes, and then raised her arms high in the air. A huge gust of wind blew the leaves around us. They whirled and twirled around us; hundreds of sycamores all spinning in the air. I laughed, as I remembered what my dad used to call them: helicopter leaves. The wind died down, and the sycamores slowly returned to the ground, as Anila lowered her hands. I could feel tears welling in my eyes; perhaps because it had made me think of my dad. But it was so amazing.

"That was...epic," I giggled. It was the only word good enough to describe it.

Anila laughed in relief.

**ELENA'S POV**

I felt like someone had come along and ripped my heart out; my chest ached, the edges raw and tender. Stefan was alive, but he had run away from me. I knew it was wrong that he'd killed Andie...and nearly killed Georgia, but he'd seemed relieved enough that he hadn't killed her, right? And I knew this wasn't Stefan; this was what the blood made him do. I had to believe there was still hope for him. If I didn't have faith in him, who would? Sighing, I kicked off my covers and wrapped a blanket around me. It was now one o'clock in the afternoon, and I'd been in bed all morning. Caroline had already called me twice, but I hadn't returned her calls yet. Damon had tried to call me once, but I didn't feel like talking to anyone right now.

I shuffled out of my room and across the landing. The doorbell rang, and Jeremy hurried to answer it. I waited at the top of the stairs; hiding behind the wall. I didn't want to see anyone right now.

"Jeremy!" a familiar voice squealed, and I immediately let my blanket drop. It was Bonnie!

"Hey, Bonnie," Jeremy laughed, hugging her tightly.

I smiled and hurried downstairs. "Hey, Bonnie!" I joined the hug. The three of us stood there, laughing, with our arms wrapped around each other. For a moment, I forgot all about Stefan, and just lived in this moment with my brother and best friend.

Bonnie laughed and let go first; her hair slightly ruffled. "So, did I miss much? I mean, it's been a week. A lot can happen in a week."

Jeremy and I exchanged looks.

"You have no idea," I said grimly. "Come on, we'll explain everything."

We sat down in the living room, and explained to Bonnie everything from Anila arriving in town the day she left, Georgia arriving yesterday, and Stefan attacking her and running away.

Bonnie frowned. "So Stefan's lost his humanity now?"

"Not exactly," I replied uncomfortably. "He...he's struggling right now, but I want to help him."

"Elena, you can't help him," she said softly. "He's with Klaus, who can't know you're alive."

"But he came _here, _Bonnie, last night," I pointed out.

"Yeah, on Klaus' orders," Jeremy put in.

"You don't know that," I said quietly.

"He wouldn't come here unless Klaus knew about it. Stefan's not dumb, Elena. He's a vampire, which means he's smart," Bonnie argued, before closing the topic and changing the subject. "So Georgia's a Lokra like Zayn...I wonder if she has the family tree; I mean, Zayn's family don't have their family tree so we can't trace it back and see who founded Mystic Falls."

Jeremy shook his head. "No, she wouldn't know. Everything we told her was completely new to her; and even if she _did _have the family tree it would've been destroyed in the fire."

Bonnie sighed. "And Anila Rowan? You said she was a witch; I've heard of the Rowans. They're a very powerful, but small family. I reckon they were around in the 1800s, like Emily. And Anila's in on the town's secret, right?"

"Yeah, she helped us out last night with Stefan," Jeremy explained. "Maybe you could talk to her; she might know about her line of ancestors."

"Yeah, then maybe she'll know about the Lokra line," I suggested, only half-listening. My mind was only focused on one thing: Stefan.

**GEORGIA'S POV**

Later on in the afternoon after Anila had left, I'd settled into the sofa and started watching Glee (Aunt Sara had both box sets). Zayn was up in his room on the computer, apparently doing homework, but I could hear the blast of his music through the ceiling. A knock on the door had me pausing the DVD, and kicking the blankets off. I shuffled to the door and opened it. There was a delivery guy standing on the front porch holding a cardboard box.

"Are you Georgia Lokra?" he enquired.

"Yeah, that's me," I replied, surprised.

"There's a package here for you from Ohio," he said, handing me the box. "Sent from a Mrs Clara Figguns." My neighbour. Why would she be sending me packages?

"It also came with this letter," he said, handing me a white envelope. "You just need to sign the delivery form."

"Okay," I took his pen and signed the form. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said, and I closed the door. I hurried upstairs to my room, clutching the box and the letter in my hands. When I got to my room, I set the box down on the bed and ripped open the letter first. It was a short, scribbled note from Mrs Figguns:

_The police found this under the floorboards of your bedroom. It hasn't been opened or anything, but it's got your name on it, so I sent it to you._

_Clara Figguns._

I placed the letter down, and turned to the box in confusion. I hadn't known about the box. Sitting on my bed, I tore off the duct tape that held the box closed. A cloud of dust billowed up and I coughed, waving it away. Stacked in the box were old hardcover books and boxes. There was also a note taped to the top box. I immediately recognised my mother's writing. Hands shaking, I tugged the note off the box and read through it.

_Georgia, I wanted you to find this when the time is right. By now, I've told you about the vampires, and I'm not sure if you believe me or not. Maybe this will help. Your ancestor, Isobel Lokra, lived among the vampires in the 1800s. Her family has written things down, she has, and these journals and artefacts should give you all of the information you need. I love you, Georgia. It'll all be okay._

_Love, Mom._

Isobel Lokra...everyone wanted to know who our ancestor was; Zayn had told me that they had no records of any Lokra in the 1800s, when the town had been founded.

"Zayn!" I called, hurrying out of my room and down the hall to his. I knocked on the door and waited.

"Yeah?" he opened the door.

"I – I think I've found something," I explained. "About our ancestor. Her name, at least. Isobel Lokra."

Zayn stared at me in surprise. "How do you know this?"

"I'll show you," I hurried back to my room; my cousin following me in confusion. I showed him the box and the letter from my mother.

"Oh my God," he exclaimed, staring at me in shock. "Have you looked through any of this yet?"

"Not yet," I replied. "Do you want to help?"

"Sure," he gestured to the box. "Take your pick first."

I picked up a small, thin book. I opened it up, and immediately knew what it was. "It's like a sketch book," I explained, turning the pages of the book. The first drawing was of a woman. The drawing was in black and white, but from it I gathered she had long, darkish hair and soft eyes. Her expression was calm and thoughtful. At the bottom of the page read the name, Hannah Rowan, 1862.

"Rowan?" Zayn said in surprise. "That's Anila's surname. You don't think she's her ancestor, do you?"

"If she was, she must have been a witch too, right?" I asked, turning the page again. I sucked in a shocked breath. "It's Damon!"

"What?" he leaned closer to scrutinise the drawing. "What the hell?"

The drawing was totally accurate; not to mention at the bottom of the page read the name, Damon Salvatore, 1862.

"Why would Damon not tell us he knew our ancestor?" Zayn demanded. "It doesn't make sense; he told us he had no idea who she was!"

"But if you think about it, Damon's the only one that would know!" I pointed out. "He was the only one that was around at the time, unless you count Stefan."

"Whenever we asked them they said they didn't know who the Lokra ancestor was," he said, perplexed. "Like they'd never met her. I just don't get why...we need to talk to Damon."

On the opposite page, was a sketching of a girl. She had long, curly dark hair and big, round eyes. At the bottom of the page read the name, Isobel Lokra, 1862.

"That's her," I whispered. "That's Isobel."

"She looks kind of like you," he commented.

I leaned closer, and realised he was right. "Hey, she's wearing my necklace!"

"The one your mom gave you?" he asked.

"Yeah, look, they're exactly the same," I told him, holding my locket up. "So that's where my mom got it from."

"So we know that Isobel was around in the 1800s, she wore a vervain necklace, and according to your mom she knew about the vampires, as it says in these books," Zayn said. "Potentially, Anila's ancestor was friends with her, and she knew Damon, who's told us he doesn't remember there being a Lokra founding family. That the Lokra family was nothing but a memory."

I sighed, closing the book. "I think we need to talk to the others."

"I do not know that person," Damon stated clearly, as he scrutinised the drawing one last time.

Half an hour later, Zayn had drove me, and the box full of Isobel's possessions, over to the Salvatore Boarding House, where Damon lived. Everyone was there. They were all curious about the Lokra ancestor. Anila and I had met Bonnie; Elena's best friend and a witch, who was dating Jeremy, Elena's brother. Wow. This was pretty complicated.

"Yeah, well she seems to have known you," Elena pointed out. "Look, for whatever reason you feel the need to lie about this for –"

"I'm not lying, Elena," he cut in. "I honestly do not have a clue in hell who that person is. Sure, I've slept with plenty of women, and not remembered their names the next day, but I didn't even _know _there was an Isobel Lokra around at that time, okay, no one did. Not until you found these old books, Georgia."

"Are you sure, Damon? Can't you try to remember?" I asked, looking up at him. Damon stared back at me, seemingly stricken. He closed his eyes.

**DAMON'S POV**

Her eyes struck me again, and I struggled to remember. Why did they mean something to me? In fact, why had this Isobel chick drawn a picture of me from the 1800s in her sketch book? I didn't even know the woman. The only woman I'd been obsessed with in that time period was Katherine, the evil vampire slut, who had screwed me and my brother around. Maybe I'd slept with Isobel, or something, and she'd got led on into drawing me. But I was a different person back then. I was human. I would have remembered. Why the hell didn't I remember anything?

**1864 – ISOBEL'S POV**

I watched from a distance as they rounded up the vampires. I felt an awful, but vengeful kind of glee when I watched them drag Katherine away. I should feel sympathetic, considering I was one of them now. But I felt nothing but relief, which I knew, was slightly hypocritical. It had been a month since I had turned. It was hard, but I was hanging onto my humanity like a life preserver. I only fed on the blood of animals, which was kind of hard considering I'd always been an animal lover. But rather that than killing mercilessly. What was even harder was dealing with my emotions, which had all been heightened. This meant my grief over Damon had now turned to agony, and my love for him had become more powerful. Hannah appeared beside me, watching the scene gravely.

"You shouldn't be here," she scolded quietly. "What if they discover you are one of them?"

"I...I wanted to make sure..." I began, unsure of how to explain myself.

"That Damon was alright?" she finished.

"Yes," I muttered sheepishly; glancing down at my feet.

I heard the firing of a gunshot, clear as if it had happened right next to me. I then heard Stefan's cry as he called Damon's name. _Damon? _Damon couldn't have been shot. Without even waiting for Hannah, I ran with vampire speed toward the sound of the shot. A second shot fired, and my stomach lurched. Stefan too? The scent of blood found my nostrils. Human blood. I followed the delicious, alluring scent, until I came to a clearing. Damon and Stefan were lying dead on the floor, blood seeping out of their chests.

"No," I whispered, hurrying to Damon's side. "No, Damon, no."

His eyes were closed peacefully. He merely could have been sleeping. But I knew better. Tears welled in my eyes, as my heart exploded in agony.

"Damon!" I sobbed. "Please! Please, Damon, wake up! Don't die. Don't leave me. I love you, Damon. Please don't leave me here. We have a baby, Damon. She's beautiful; her name's Isabella. You can't leave her fatherless...please, please, don't die. I love you."

I pressed my lips against his, trying to force a reaction out of his. "I love you," I repeated brokenly. "I love you."


	5. Returning

**PRESENT DAY – DAMON'S POV**

I opened my eyes, to see them all gazing at me expectantly. I glared back, shrugging it off, as if none of this bothered me.

"I don't remember," I said defiantly. "Look, I don't know who that girl is, I don't know why she drew me, and I certainly don't remember her. I know the Lokra's founded the town, but I don't remember them. And according to the family journals, not many of them did either. The Gilberts, Lockwoods, Salvatores and Forbes only mention the Lokras a couple of times throughout the diaries. How do you expect me to know anything?"

Everyone seemed to go quiet after my outburst. Grumpily, I poured myself another drink and sipped it sulkily. Georgia hesitantly touched my arm.

"I believe you," she admitted, before moving her hand away. Everyone's gazes shifted to her, most of them surprised. Great. Nice to see how many of them believed in me.

"Me too," Ric said, also pouring himself another drink. I nodded at him. I knew I didn't admit it enough, but I was grateful that Ric was actually my friend. The guy was messed up; mostly because I couldn't believe he actually put up with me. Ah, he was lucky to be my friend and he knew it.

Anila was the next to agree. "If you say you don't remember, then you don't remember. I believe you, Damon."

Slowly, everyone mumbled their agreement, and rolling my eyes, I re-filled my glass.

"Well, now that we got all that crap out of the way," I said briskly. "Who feels like having a drink?"

"I'd love to," a snide, cold voice put in, and we all turned toward the door. She smiled sadistically, and I grimaced as I remembered how her lip curled in disdain as she surveyed the scene. "Hey, losers," Katherine smirked, leaning against the door frame, while idly twirling a lock of her hair. "Mind if I join you?"

The entire room seemed to tense up. Elena's expression had turned stone cold as she glared at Katherine. Thankfully, we'd filled Georgia in on the whole doppelganger thing, and she simply seemed surprised to see Katherine.

"By all means," I shrugged. She smirked, and as she stepped into the room, I raced over to her and slammed her into the wall. Katherine grinned at me, cocking her head to the side.

"What? You're not happy to see me?" she asked.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded. "You're free from Klaus' compulsion. Why aren't you as far away from him as possible?"

She shrugged. "He's not here, is he? And, I missed you," she smirked playfully.

I released her, disgusted, and she chortled.

"Well, feel free to leave," I snarled. "You're not wanted here."

"Oh, but I just got here," she whined, glancing around the room. "And you've got company. Hey, Elena. How's Stefan?"

Elena stood up angrily. "Get out. Get out now."

Katherine smirked. "Now come on, Elena. That's no way to talk to someone who wants to help you get our Stefan back, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "That's why you're here? Well, I don't buy it. Now you heard Elena. Get. Out."

"Ooh," Katherine side-stepped me, so she could look at Georgia and Anila. "Fresh meat. Who might they be?"

Zayn stood up defensively, glaring at Katherine. "Why do you care?"

Katherine held up her hands in mock surrender. "Sorry. It's Zayn, right? Hmm, you've changed since the last time I saw you," she looked around him and her eyes fell on Anila. "Now, who are you?"

"Anila," she said shortly. "Anila Rowan."

"Oh, a Rowan?" she asked, examining her nails. "I've heard of you. Powerful, kick-ass witch, right? And what about you?"

"Georgia," she replied flatly, glancing up at her. "Georgia Lokra."

Katherine seemed stricken for a moment as she looked at Georgia's eyes. Huh. How did she recognise her eyes?

She recovered quickly though, going back to her bitchy ways.

"So, what is this little secret meeting about? Having trouble in Twinkle Town?" she said sarcastically.

"Why would we tell you? Now get out of here, because it's obvious no one wants you here" I told her.

"Yeah right, Damon." she scoffed. "You know you need me, you always need me". Then she sauntered into the room and relaxed onto a couch. I just glared at her willing her to get her ass out of the door and out of everyone's lives.

Elena turned to her and spoke, "If you must know Katherine, we were talking about Georgia's ancestor. You might have heard of her; she was part of the founding families. Her name was Isobel Lokra".

Katherine seemed to stiffen at the name and she diverted her eyes.

"Oh? And what have you found?"

"Well, we've found that she was around a year before you came to Mystic Falls then she magically disappeared," I casually walked over to her, loving how uncomfortable she looked at the information we were giving her. "She also knew a witch, but it seems you know that, didn't you?" I smirked.

"So what if I did?" she retorted angrily, hating the fact that I had the upper hand. I just ignored her and carried on.

"What we want to know," I gestured around the room to all the others who were staring at us. "Is how did no one including me have no recollection of Isobel Lokra and the rest of her family?"

**PRESENT DAY – STEFAN'S POV**

"So Ripper, what happened at the sweet little carnival? Hm… do tell," Klaus enquired as he paced around me in a circle.

We were in a warehouse on the outskirts of Tennessee near Virginia. There were crates stacked one on top of the other all around the room on shelves and the fluorescent lights glared down on us, making my eyes hurt. The security guard that was meant to keep watch was now lying on the floor dead with his throat ripped out; his blood splattered along the floor.

I glanced at him. "I found the girl," I lied carefully. "Why did you want me to check if she's there?"

"It's a long story," Klaus shrugged. "I want the Lokras dead thanks to a little misunderstanding six years ago when I came across an Isobel Lokra."

The name echoed dully in my head. Where had I heard that name before?

"What happened?" I asked curiously.

Klaus shrugged. "She crossed me."

"So you're going to kill her entire line of descendants just because she crossed you?" I stated flatly.

Klaus smirked. "Why are you surprised? The consequences were the same for Katerina."

"And I'm guessing you want me to kill Georgia and her family," I said tonelessly.

"Not quite, Stefan," Klaus said cheerfully. "I've already taken care of her parents, but I don't want Georgia dead quite yet. She possesses something very dear to me, and I intend to get it. I've already got a vampire on that mission."

"So what do you want me to do?" I asked, trying to keep a hold of my building frustration.

"I need a witch, Stefan," he said, narrowing his eyes as he sensed my annoyance. "I want you to get me one. A powerful witch, perhaps a Rowan."

"A Rowan?" I asked. "What's that?"

"The Rowans are a powerful line of witches," he explained. "You'll find one…there's bound to be one in Mystic Falls."

**GEORGIA'S POV**

We got nothing from Katherine once Damon started questioning her. She just closed up and said that she didn't know anything, though we all knew that was a lie,and then she was gone instantly. I guess I'll have to get used to all this supernatural mojo, I thought to myself. I sighed.

My parents are now dead; I have moved to a new place, left all my friends back home and have just experienced the pleasure of nearly being eaten by a bloody vampire. Could my life really get any worse? What did I do in my past life to get such bad karma? I must have been a serial killer or better yet I was a bloodthirsty vampire always on the rampage. Yeah, I bet I was a bloody vampire.

I walked down the street to my aunt's, still contemplating about how bloodthirsty I must have been, when I heard her calling my name.

"Georgia, Georgia," she shouted waving her arms around to get my attention. Her hair was flowing in the gentle breeze and her green eyes seemed to be sparkling in excitement.

"Yeah? What's up?" I called back while jogging towards her.

"I just thought that you'd like to know we have a new neighbour that's just moved in today," she said. "His name is Ivan, he's about a year older than you and he's awfully handsome," she nudged me playfully. "And he's English".

She winked at me then started to walk towards the house next door. I was quick to follow, wanting to see how handsome this Ivan really was.

The house was exactly like ours but it had a white tint to it whereas our house had a creamy glow in the afternoon sun. We walked up to the front porch which had boxes encircling the front door. Once we had manoeuvred around them, Sara rang the door bell.

A couple of minutes passed and then the door swung open. In the doorway stood a man, whom like Sara had said looked to be a year older than me. He had sharp, defined features with perfect lips. His hair was dirty blonde with highlights (like a surfer who spends all his time in the sea), it was slightly shaggy and looked like he had run his hands through it. His eyes were a crystal blue that had pale grey (almost white) specks and a dark rim around them. He was wearing a white t-shirt which you could see his utterly gorgeous, chiselled abs underneath. He was wearing black jeans and he was bare-foot. He was stunning. Absolutely breathtaking.

"Good afternoon. What brings you here?" Ivan asked charmingly. He looked my way and I could feel myself blushing under his gaze.

"Oh, we just wanted to welcome the new neighbour to Mystic Falls that's all," replied Sara cheerfully. "I'm Sara Lokra and this is my niece Georgia. I also have a son Zayn; you'll probably see him around."

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Ivan Green" he introduced. He looked my way again and I stared into his eyes but after a minute I adverted my gaze and looked down at my dirty converse, feeling my cheeks darken considerably more.

"Anyway, we'd better get going," Sara said "We still have to sort out your forms for school," she looked at me and I groaned. "Goodbye Ivan, nice to meet you."

"Bye," he smiled.

Then we walked down the steps and back to our house but I quickly snuck a look back at next door and saw Ivan was still standing by the door, looking straight at me. I whipped around and looked ahead.

That was weird, I thought. Oh well, back to the boring stuff.

Once we got in, Sara demanded that we looked at the school forms so that we could get it over and done with.

"I really hate school," I muttered to myself as we sat at the table.

**ISOBEL'S POV**

I walked around the town I had once called home and where I hoped I would live for my whole life. But that all changed once that little bitch Katherine turned me. I hate her. I truly hate her with a passion. She took everything away from me, literally.

The whole place had changed, most things being modernized and bigger. I wonder what my old house had been changed into, maybe a corner shop or a clothes shop.

I strolled down the streets until I got to a building called the Mystic Grill. It seemed to be humming with life so I went in. The inside of the place was packed full of people all doing different things. There were many people at the bar drinking beer and other types of alcohol, over by the pool table was a large group of teenagers and situated around the tables were families with small children and some couples all having lunch.

I decided to go to the bar to get myself a glass of white wine. I sat at one of the bar stools and ordered my drink. Once it had arrived I observed the Grill again. Everything looked… well, normal. Though as my eyes swept over the group of teenagers again I saw a girl around 17 who looked a lot like me.

Aha that must be my descendent, I thought.

Throughout the decades that I have been a vampire I had always checked on my descendents whenever I got the chance. I liked to know that they were alright and I felt like I had a great responsibility to protect them.

Anyway, standing next to her and talking to her was another 17 year old looking girl who looked quite like Hannah, my best friend. Oh how I miss her. I don't have anyone to talk to any more since she died. My heart still had a hole where she filled it. Hannah was the one that got my through all my troubles and the only person I trusted once I got heartbroken.

I shook my head; trying to banish the depressing thoughts. I took a gulp of wine then looked at my mobile to see the time. 1:30 pm. Whoa. Where does the time go?

I gazed back at the group. I did a double take. Standing there talking to mine and Hannah's descendant's was none other than the vampire that ruined my life, Katherine Pierce.

That cruel, manipulative bitch that killed me and turned me into a monster. The one that took my Damon, who made it so I couldn't see my child again and the one that almost destroyed me. And there she was laughing and having a good time with my family, hell, I was not ok with that. She was going to pay.

I downed the rest of my wine then slammed the glass on the counter (though not hard enough for it to smash). I took one last glance then speed out of the restaurant (at human speed of course).

Rage burned through my veins and decades worth of revenge coursed throughout my body. Katherine is going to get what coming for her and no one will be able to stop me. I will get vengeance if it's the last thing I do.


	6. Isobel's Story

**PRESENT DAY – ELENA POV**

After I left Mystic Grill, I decided to go and visit Damon to see if he had any leads on where Stefan was. It was nice to hang around my friends today; they're the ones who keep me company now Stefan's gone. I especially liked talking to Georgia and Anila even though I've only known them a couple of days; I could definitely see us becoming great friends.

I walked in the general direction of the Salvatore Boarding House while thinking about how my future might turn out. Will the supernatural always follow me? Or will it go away when I get older?

I snorted. Of course the supernatural would never leave me alone; I was a supernatural myself, seeing as I was a doppelganger. I sighed. Stefan was usually the one who comforted me and made me feel better and my heart still ached from when he had left the other night. But I had to keep strong, I had to remember how I was going to get him back and never let him go. While thoughts were still whirling in my head, I heard a quiet whoosh of the wind come from behind me, blowing my hair slightly to the side. I froze. I knew that the only thing that could make that noise was a vampire. I turned my head. There was nothing in sight, not a single soul. My breath became short and shallow as I started to jog towards the boarding house.

Suddenly I was launched into the air by an unknown force. I sailed through the air until I crashed into a wall. Pain exploded throughout my body and for a moment all I could see was black. I slid down the wall and fell into a pile at the floor. Another whoosh came past me and I was pushed up against the wall by my throat. I whimpered in pain. I looked into my attackers eyes and saw that they were Georgia's. But that wasn't possible, Georgia was human not a vampire. Then a thought struck me, Georgia looked very similar to her ancestor Isobel.

Then she began to talk, "Hello Katherine. Long time no see," she snarled. "Last time I saw you, you were being carted along to Fell's Church with the rest of the vampires."

I began to struggle; my legs were trying to kick her. But I knew it was in vain.

"I'm not Katherine," I whispered, my breath becoming more erratic as she began to strangle me.

"What I want to know is how you manage to get out of it?" Isobel continued, completely ignoring me. "But then again I can guess. I bet you used your evil, manipulative ways to save yourself."

"But I'm not Katherine," I tried again but then I saw burning rage coming through her eye's.

"Stop lying," she almost screamed. "I know who you are and because you only saved yourself my Damon is dead. He was mine then you took him away from me only for him to get killed trying to save you."

Her grip was like a vice and it kept getting tighter and tighter. I could hardly breathe; I was becoming lightheaded and my sight was going fuzzy.

Abruptly, Isobel vanished and Damon was in front of me instead. I fell into his arms and began to gulp in air. Tears flowed down my cheeks and I buried my face into his chest.

**DAMON POV**

I poured out my second glass of bourbon that day and settled on the couch. I picked up the sketch book of Isobel Lokra's that Georgia left behind, as she said that maybe if I looked at it, it might trigger a memory of some sort.

I mean I knew that those eyes looked familiar and if she had drawn me then I must have known her but what I couldn't get my head around was why no one, including me remembered her.

I took a sip of my drink. She had drawn me so accurately that it looked like a sketched photograph. I flipped through the pages to see if Isobel had drawn any pictures of other people. On one page there was a sketch of Stefan and on the next was me and him standing back to back with our arms crossed, both of us had identical smirks on our faces. Other pictures in the book were either of the same people or different places in Mystic Falls in 1864.

I put the book down and lay down, closing my eyes. I let my senses go and soon I could hear everything and smell everything. Suddenly I heard a very faint voice that sounded very familiar.

"I'm not Katherine," it said. The only person that would ever say that was Elena. She sounded breathless like she couldn't even breathe. I jumped off the couch and ran (vampire style) out the door, towards her voice.

I was there in literally a few seconds, and looked at the scene before me. A small, olive-toned vampire with tresses of black curly hair was holding Elena up by her throat. She was screaming at her about someone being dead (though I wasn't really paying attention to what she was talking about), all I could see was Elena struggling and trying to breathe.

Swiftly I ran at the vamp; pulled her off Elena then chucked her away from me. Then I was able to catch Elena in my arms. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she buried her head in my chest. I started stroking her hair, whispering soothing words in her ear. Soon her breathing became more even and regular.

Once I knew she was alright, I propped her up against the wall and faced her attacker. What I didn't expect was that the vampire was standing perfectly straight and her eyes wide with shock.

"No, no, no," she murmured almost inaudibly. "He's dead. You saw him dead at your feet. He wasn't breathing. He was dead," She was becoming more hysterical with every word she said.

"I don't know who the hell you're talking about but you just pissed me off. And when I'm pissed… well let's just say I'm your worst nightmare." I smirked.

But soon my smirked was wiped off my face as the woman fell to the ground like she had been hurt. She looked at me with tortured eyes. They held my gaze as I recognised them, the golden eyes that were Georgia's, the eyes that were her ancestor's. Isobel Lokra. The woman I had supposedly once known. Her eyes were full of tears that were already sliding down her beautiful face.

**ISOBEL POV**

I was euphoric but heartbroken at the same time. My heart was ready to burst with joy as well as split in two. He was alive after over a century of thinking he was dead. He looked just as perfect as he used to, his blue eyes still as striking and his raven black hair still slightly tousled. But through his expression and eyes I could see that he didn't remember me, he didn't look at me with love and joy like he used to and that was causing my heart to ache. His voice was so deep and familiar that it made my heart melt.

Even with tears streaming down my cheeks all I could do was stare at him as I started to get up from the floor.

"Damon," I said hoarsely. "Don't you remember me?"

He gave me a weird look. "Should I?"

"You really don't remember me, do you?" I whispered, fresh tears pooling in my eyes.

Damon raked his hand through his hair in frustration. "Look, lady, I don't remember you, okay? I don't know why everyone thinks I should, because I don't. What's more important here is that you just attacked Elena because you thought she was Katherine. Now I want to know why."

"You're supposed to be dead!" I shouted. "I watched you die!"

He stared at me in surprise. "What?"

"In 1864 you were shot!" I continued, as if he'd never spoken. "That bitch turned you into a vampire, and for all these years I never knew!"

"Katherine?" he said. "How do you know her? How do you know me? Why the hell would you want to attack Elena?"

Elena stepped forward, looking extremely sorry for Isobel. "Damon, calm down...can't you see she's hurting?"

I stared at this human girl apprehensively. "How do you look so much like Katherine? You could be her twin."

Elena sighed grimly. "I get that a lot. My name is Elena Gilbert, and I'm the descendant and doppelganger of Katherine. And you? Your descendants are Zayn and Georgia Lokra, right?"

I nodded. "That's right. When I saw you with Georgia, I thought you were Katherine. I had to defend my descendant. I'm sorry I attacked you."

"Why don't you come inside?" Elena asked. "Then we can actually talk about this...we're so confused right now about all of this. We don't get why nobody remembers you."

I glanced over at Damon, my heart aching as he stared back at me with no recognition in his eyes, or any love. I had to remember he was a vampire now. Whether he had turned off his emotions or not, he wasn't the Damon I remembered. He wasn't human.

"Yeah," he muttered. "Yeah, you'd better come in."

**ELENA POV**

Once we got into the Boarding House Damon immediately went and poured himself a drink and I sat down on one of the couches. I looked up at Isobel and I could see her glancing around the living room.

"It's just as I remember it… though there are a few bits and pieces that seemed to have been added," she murmured as she walked over to the TV.

Damon gave her an inquisitive look "How do you even know what this place looked liked ages ago?"

"I used to come here a lot when I was actually alive," she told him emotionlessly.

"Oh really…?" Damon murmured dubiously

"Why don't you tell us about yourself, Isobel? Like how you grew up and when you got turned?" I cut in, curious to know about her.

She stared at me blankly though her eyebrows creased a bit and it looked like she was trying to decide whether to tell us or not. She glanced at me then Damon then back at me again. She sighed and sat on the couch opposite me.

"Fine, I'll tell you," she said quietly. I smiled slightly and peered at Damon who looked quite curious himself. When Isobel started talking I turned my full attention on her.

"I was born here, in Mystic Falls to Leon and Alicia Lokra, both from Spanish descendants, and part of the founding families of this town," she told us. "I was an outdoors sort of girl and loved the nature around me, especially the woodland creatures that lived in the woods nearby. I also was acquainted with most people in the town and was friends with lots of the younger people such as the Salvatore brothers," she indicated to Damon.

"My family was quite well of and so we had a couple of servants. My maid Hannah Rowan was my best friend and the person I trusted the most; she was also a witch," a small smile appeared on her face as she reminisced about the past. "Oh the wonderful things she would show me with her powers like flowers blooming or making a hurricane of leaves when no one was around. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, well growing up in Mystic Falls was alright most of the time but could get a bit boring sometimes."

Isobel stared at Damon, "And then when I was 18 years old I fell in love," she said softly. "He was such a gentleman and always the charmer. He was funny and witty, he always knew how to cheer me up," she laughed quietly. "Sometimes he would do some of the most outrageous things just to make me laugh."

"He sounds like a great guy," I said.

"Yeah, he was. The greatest guy I've ever known," she said dreamily.

"What happened to you two then?" I asked. I knew from the minute she stared over at Damon that he was the one she fell in love with. That's probably the reason why she had drawn him so much in her sketch book.

"Let's just say he was torn away from me by another woman and he loved her instead," she told me sadly, a small tear ran down her cheek.

"Okay… so who was the one who turned you?" Damon enquired.

Isobel suddenly stood up. She looked at me.

"Maybe we'll talk about this some other time, seeing as we've talked so much about me," she said firmly.

"Sure. Umm… would you like to stay here?" I asked her, glancing guiltily at Damon.

"Really?" she said, her face lighting up.

"No," Damon shot out.


End file.
